Rotary cultivator



Sept. 1, 1942. G. w. LUTZ 2,294,470

ROTARY .CULTIVATOR Filed Aug. 29, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet l WZQZZ sept; 1,1942. G, W U-rz 2,294,470

ROTARY GULTIVATOR Filed Aug. 29, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 1, 1942. G.w. I Urz 2,294,470

ROTARYl CULTIVATOR Filed Aug. 29, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Sept.1, 1942 UNITE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved cultivator wheel and seeks, amo-ngother objects, to provide a device of this character which will behighly efcient in use for cultivating rows of corn, tomatoes, tobacco,and the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cultivator wheel whereinmeans is employed for permitting ready adjustment.

A further object of the invention to provide a cultivator wheel which isadapted for use with cultivators of the horse-drawn or tractor drawntype.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a cultivatorwherein the cultivator elements employed are arranged in staggeredrelation about the drum or hub of the wheel so that full and effectivecultivation will be assured.

And still another object of the invention is to provide a cultivatorwheel of this nature employing improved mounting means having springsfor yieldably resisting upward movement of the wheel as the same movesover the ground.

Other and incidental objects of the invention not mentioned hereinbeforewill become apparent during the course of the following description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of a cultivator equipped with my improvedcultivator wheel.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure l,looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail elevation, partly in section, showing thehub of the cultivator Wheel and one of the cultivator elementsernployed.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail perspective view showing one of the pivotbearings employed.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail perspective view showing one of thespring mountings.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, whereinsimilar numerals of reference will be seen to designate like partsthroughout the views, the numeral I indicates a cultivator having aframe 2, said frame including an axle 3, ground wheels 4 and 5, and sidebars 6 and l. The side bars diverge from their mid-points toward theircorresponding free ends and carry cultivator shares la, said cultivatorshares being of conventional construction and being arranged in a spacedseries longitudinally of .the side bars.

The side bars 6 and 'l are connected to the axle 3, near its oppositeends, by bearings 8 and 9. Draft members l0 are shown fragmentarily andare adapted for connection with a tractor or a span of horses.

Associated with the frame E of the cultivator i is a wheel l i, saidframe including side bars i2 and i3. The side bars E2 and i3 haveoutwardly offset corresponding inner end portions il and i5 and saidoiiset portions are projected to define terminal portions it and Il.Mounted on the inner faces of the side bars t and l o1- the frame 2 arepivot bearing plates Iii and said Divot bearing plates being held inplace on the respective side bars by means of pairs of bolts and El.Spacing sleeves 22 surround the bolts 2i for effectively spacing theplate i5 from the side bars. Nuts 23 are screwed the ends of the boltsand, of course, retain the pivot bearing plates it and l in properoperative position. As best seen in Figure 4 of the drawings, the pivotbearing plates carry pivot bolts Surrounding the pivot bolts 2e arebearing sleeves which serve the purpose of eiectively spacing theportions iii and il from the faces oi said pivot bearing plates i3 andit. Nuts 2t effectively ret in the portions it and il in pivotalengagement with the bolts Ztl so that an effective pivotal mounting forthe frame l l on the frame 2 will be assured.

The side bars I2 and i3 have reir corresponding rear end portionstwisted to denne fiat hinge plates El. The hinge plates have associatedtherewith wheel supporting plates 23, said wheel supporting plateshaving inwardly offset portions 29 which terminate in hinge plates 3U.Hinge belts El hingedly connect the portions 39 with the hinge plates2i. It will now be understood that the wheel frame l i may be raised andlowered about the pivot bolts 2li. The hinge bolts 3l, in addition,provide means for further adjustment.

Mounted between the wheel supporting plates 28 is a cultivator wheel,indicated generally Iby the numeral 32. The cultivator wheel 32 includesa drum or hub 33 mounted on a shaft 34. The shaft has end portionsjournaled for rotation in the ends of the side bars 28. The cultivatorwheel also includes cultivator elements 35, said elements being arrangedin staggered relation transversely of the hub or drum and also beingarranged in circumferentially spaced series. As seen in Figure 3 of thedrawings, each of the cutivator elements includes a straight shank 35and a laterally directed digging portion or spade 3l, said diggingportion or spade being disposed at an angle of substantially ten degreesfrom the axis of the straight portion 36. It

should be understood, however, that the spades or digging portions maybe arranged at any desired angle with respect to the axes of thestraight portions. As shown in Figure 3, the straight portions areprovided with threaded upper ends 38 which are screwed into threadedopenings in the hub 33. It is obvious that the cultivator elements maybe secured to the hub in any other suitable manner.

In order to provide a resilient connection between the wheel frame IIand the cultivator frome 2, I employ structure including a pair ofbrackets 39, said brackets being of inverted L- shape and being mountedin opposed relation on the side bars 6 and 'I near their mid-points. Thebrackets 39 include arms 40 which project in overhanging relation withrespect to the side bars I2 and I3 of the wheel frame Il and areprovided with openings near their corresponding free ends. Connectingrods 4I are associated with the brackets 39 and have threaded upper endportions 42 extending through the openings in the ends of the arms 40.At their corresponding lower ends the ribs 4I are flattened andapertured to dei-lne eyes 43. Bolts 44 extend through the eyes andthrough the side bars I2 and I3 of the wheel frame II for pivotallyconnecting the rods 4I with said wheel frame. As best seen typically inFigure 5, a spring 45 surrounds each of the rods and is coniined beneaththe under surfaces of the arms 4I] and pins 43, which extendtransversely through rods 4I near their corresponding lower ends. Itwill now be understood that the rods 4I, together with the springs 45,provide a resilient connection between the Wheel frame II and thecultivator frame 2 so that the cultivator wheel 32 will be yieldablyengaged with the surface of the ground. Nuts 41 are screwed on thethreaded upper ends 42 and are adjustable for varying the tension of thespring.

It will be understood that I have provided a highly efcient rotarycultivator wheel which is simple in construction and capable ofmanufacture at low cost. Itis easy to install and remove from acultivator and, as previously explained, is capable of severaladjustments, which adjustments may be made with the utmost facility. Itis possible to raise and lower the wheel with respect to the cultivatorframe by adjustment of the nuts 41. The device lends itself equally wellfor use in connection with a tractor or as a horsedrawn implement.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a cultivator wheel, a hub, cultivator elements carried on the hub,a wheel frame, means pivotally connecting the Wheel frame with acultivator, said means including pivot bolts, bearing sleeves on theDivot bolts, bearing plates, spacing sleeves, and means for connectingthe bearing plates with the cultivator.

2. In a cultivator, a main frame, a wheel having a hub, cultivatorelements carried by the hub, a wheel frame, means pivotally connectingthe wheel frame with the main frame whereby said wheel frame will bepermitted to have Vertical movement with respect to the main frame, andmeans yieldably resisting upward movement of the wheel frame withrespect to the main frame, said means being adjustable for raising thewheel frame on the' main frame, said means including a bracket mountedvertically on the main frame and having an arm extending inwardly of themain frame, a connecting rod mounted on the wheel frame and extendingupwardly therefrom with its upper portion eX- tending through an openingin the side arm of the bracket, a spring surrounding the connecting rod,a pin extending through said rod and engaging the lower end of thespring for conning the spring between the side arm of the bracket andthe lower end portion of said connecting rod, and a nut screwed on therod for engagement with the upper face of the bracket arm and tensioningthe spring when tightened.

3. In combination with a cultivator frame having side bars, a cultivatorwheel including a hub, a wheel frame having side arms, and mountingmeans pivotally connecting the side arms of the wheel frame withcompanion side bars of the cultivator frame, and means yieldablyresisting upward movement of the wheel frame with respect to thecultivator frame, the mounting means each consisting of a plate, boltsprojecting from the outer side face of said plate and through thecultivator bar, spacers about said bolts between the plate and thecultivator bar, nuts threaded upon outer ends of said bolts, a stemprojecting from the inner side face of said plate and through the sidearm and constituting a pivot for the same, a spacer about the pinbetween the plate and the side bar, and a nut threaded on the stem forholding the side bar and the spacer thereon.

GLENN W. LUTZ.

